


what’s in a name?

by silkspectre



Category: Ready or Not (2019)
Genre: F/M, Trauma, daniel lived, is this fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24057316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkspectre/pseuds/silkspectre
Summary: Grace struggles with a name change during recovery.
Relationships: Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas
Comments: 6
Kudos: 132





	what’s in a name?

Grace was a survivor. If nothing else she had earned the right to think of herself as someone who stared down obstacles like they were nothing. A woman who beat odds with strength over grace, contrary to her own name. So being the fearless warrior that everyone told her she was, filling out the paperwork for her name change should have been easy. 

Surviving the foster care system for eighteen years? Becoming engaged to who she thought was the man of her dreams only to have her new family attempt to ritualistically kill her? She had got through, not easily, but she was still breathing. The document in front of her was the thing she could not conquer. Because she didn’t have a last name anymore. 

After beating the Le Domas family at their ‘game’. Grace had been trying to coax her old carefree self out of a pit of sadness. A goat pit. She shuddered. Old Grace was gone, and new Grace cried herself to sleep and woke up screaming most nights. Her new centre of gravity was the only surviving Le Domas member; Daniel. 

Daniel being pulled out of the inferno of his childhood home was poetic. He was spat out of Satan’s wreckage and pitched into the blinding sunlight, strapped to a ambulance gurney and rode to the hospital with Grace clutching his hand and covered in blood, laughing wildly. They had sedated them both, and the next time Daniel woke up Grace was sitting there beside him, scrubbed clean and wearing a hospital gown instead of a blood soaked wedding dress. She was quiet, reading paperwork while he tried to think of something to say.

He hadn’t been able to speak, something about his throat needing time to heal. So Grace did all the talking for him, bombarding doctors with questions on his behalf, but also profusely thanking them for saving his life. She had told Daniel that she felt different, sullen, overcome with sadness most days. But outwardly she still was a light that lit up the room. It hurt to think that her making him feel better when her outgoing act was something created to mask a deep recess of trauma. 

When he could speak, and had been cleared by the surgeons to go home they began sharing his townhouse. All of the belongings from before had been taken by movers and donated, including all of Charity’s many bags and shoes. Charity was finally living up to her name, and Daniel was sure she would turn in her grave if she hadn’t burst into a puddle of Campbell’s chunky soup when she died. 

New furniture – they were sitting of sofas that still had that ‘new car’ smell. Just like the bed, the tables and chairs. Everything new to escape what had been before. 

‘So – my name. Should I use google? Do you have any ideas?’ Grace pulled out her phone and started searching. 

‘Something less satanic maybe.’ Daniel leaned over so he could see her phone screen. ‘Maybe you should be asking your therapist about this.’ 

Grace stopped looking at her phone for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at Daniel. ‘’You know, maybe you should change your name, too.’’ She smiles brightly, nudging him. ‘My therapist told me to stop calling them every time I had to do something I should be able to do by myself-‘ Grace started. 

‘Yeah so you’re asking me instead.’ Daniel interrupted. Grace sighed, putting her phone in sleep mode. He was right, she should be able to pick a name by herself. ‘I want to help, but it is a personal choice. We might not even be speaking years from now. You don’t want some dude who is wrapped up in past trauma picking your name for you and reminding you of the worst night of your life every time you hear or see it.’  
‘Wait hold on – you’re planning on ditching me? That’s cold, Daniel.’ Jokey Grace came out, nudging him again. Daniel knew it was an act, that he’d said the wrong thing. 

‘Grace, you deserve better company.’ He sat back, pressing his lips together. Here was the conversation they had every so often, the one where he tried to convince her to leave despite feeling like he would lose what was left of his mind without her. Grace had people breaking down the door to comfort her; friends from work, school and even her exes had all sent messages and flowers and even showed up at the door. Daniel had received a condolence card and a bottle of whiskey from the Le Domas corporate office. 

And that bottle was still sitting, opened but full in his home office. Maybe not completely full really, because he had filled his glass numerous times, and then haphazardly poured it back into the bottle. His therapist urged him to give up drinking during the most traumatic period of his life. Daniel was beginning to see why Grace was sceptical of the good doctor’s advice. 

The point was amidst her outpouring of support, Grace inexplicably insisted on staying with him. The last link to Alex, when he knew all she wanted was to forget him. The last living reminder of that night. And the last one ultimately who knew what had happened. Who had felt it, been hurt by it. 

‘I think you’re a good guy, Daniel.’ Grace met his eyes with hers, taking his hand. He looked at the tiny chilli tattoo, wondering where she had got it. If she had been drunk, if it had hurt. He wanted to ask if she remembered that she had said that to him on her wedding night. He let out a shaky breath, shutting his eyes. A good guy. 

Grace watched him, just sitting there quietly. 

‘Grace, I think you should take your time. The lawyers can wait. And when the time is right, we’ll both change it.’ Daniel broke the comfortable silence. He was looking straight at her.

‘You want to change your name, too?’ Grace smiled, squeezing his hand. 

‘Fuck my family, right? You’re not alone. We’re in this together.’ Daniel wondered if there was going to be a better time to kiss her, but he decided to lean in and do it anyway. Her arms wound around his neck, anchoring her against him as she kissed back.

**Author's Note:**

> I have been chipping away at this for a while, I also want to try a time loop fic because I love them. I really enjoyed writing this, though.


End file.
